Clothesline hanger



Jan. 27, 1942. 1 J. E. CUFF CLOTHESLINE HANGER Filed Aug. 16, 1940 INVENTOR. James I. Cu/fi BE I Z {c k /I firm 5.

Patented Jan. 27, .1942

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESlLINE HANGER James E. Cuff, Hinsdale, Ill.

- Application August 16, 1940, Serial N0..352,870

. 6 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a hanger for clotheslines upon which a line can be quickly and firmly hitched without knotting and without injury to the line. Generally speaking, this is accomplished by making a broad fiat hook opening upwardly, and splitting it to form a fork having tines enlarged above the crotch and bent or twisted to bring one edge inward and the other outward. Such a construction lends itself to a variety of hitches that are quickly made, hold securely and are readily released;

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the hanger;

Fig. 2 is a side View;

Fig. 3 is a plan view;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sketches showing different forms of hitches in the clothesline applied to the hook portion of the hanger, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank used in making the hanger.

But this specific drawing and the correspondingly specific description are used for the purpose of disclosure and should not impose unnecessary limitations on the claims.

The base of the hanger indicated at T0, is provided with two wings or flanges ll, having holes l2 for screws or nails for fastening the bracket to a wall or post.

Preferably, the wings or flanges are offset backwardly. as best seen in Fig. 3, and curved on the arc of a circle having a radius of approximately 3". This form gives the hanger a rugged substantial character and also makes the wings easily adapted to a round post or a flat wall. The small divergence from conformity to either can be corrected by settingup the screws hard or by striking the wings with a hammer.

At the top the space between the offset portions [3 is filled in by turning over the corresponding portion M of the base.

The bottom of the base blends into a hook I5 (Fig. 2) opening upwardly, and split to form a fork having two enlarged tines l6 and I! (Fig. 1) bent or twisted to a shape somewhat like propeller blades (Fig. 3). The actual crotch [8 of the fork is preferably circular with a radius of A3" and in the blank (Fig. '7) the circle is pretty well complete when it is turned. sharply into curves l9 going in opposite directions. In the blank the passage 20 would be too small to admit the conventional braided clothesline, but when the tines are shaped, as indicated in Fig. 3,

there is ample passageway 2| leading down to the crotch of the fork. The curve l9 extends along the top of the tines to a point 22 about opposite the center of the crotch, when it is abruptly changed at 23 to give each of the two tines an upper enlarged portion with a narrow portion 24 below and in such relation to the crotch as to foster the hitches shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and their ability to remain fast.

The throat 25 (Fig. 2) of the hook is curved on a radius of about 22 2'" and at its ends, as well as along the outer edges of the tines, the metal is curved downwardly and outwardly, as indicated.

at 26, to make the bend of the line easy and avoid the concentration of stress that would cut or injure the fiber.

Fig. 4 shows a preferred'hitch for fastening the end of a clothesline in starting to hang it up. 21 indicates the line and 28 the end of the line being made fast. In this hitch it will be clear that the end of the line is seized by the round turn 29, as well as by the main body of the line at 30. The result is a firm hitch that is easily made and just as easily unmade or released, without any possibility of jamming or knotting.

Fig. 5 shows the preferred hitch for fastening an intermediate portion of the line to a hanger. This not only supports the line against the drag of the clothes, but will maintain the tension between the separate hangers.

Fig. 6 is a preferred hitch for the final end of the line, indicated at 3!. The round turn about the tine l6, plus the finishing turn about the tine l1, clinched by pulling the end 3| down into thecrotch, makes a hitch that will stand the strain, can be easily made while holding the body of the line under appropriate tension, and can be just as easily released when the line is to be taken down. 7

These three hitches, however, are mere examples of many that may be used.

After forming as indicated, the bracket will be' tumbled or otherwise treated tosmooth off all edges and corners and then given a suitable fin ish, such as galvanizing, etc.

From the hitches shown it will be seen that offsetting the base wings provides very desirable clearance and guards against injury to the hand and the line by contact with the screw heads.

The flaring of the throat at 26 gives the effect of flanges that stiffen the hook against outward bending.

I claim:

l. A clothesline hanger comprising a base, backwardly offset wings at each side of the base, and an upwardly opening forwardly offset forked hook connected to the base and having two tines the adjacent edges of which define a crotch for the line, one of said edges being disposed closer to the base than the other.

2. A clothesline hanger comprising a base, backwardly offset Wings at each side of the base, and a generally broad flat upwardly opening and forwardly ofiset forked hook connected to the base and having two tines the adjacent edges of which define a crotch for the line, one of said edges being disposed closer to the base than the other.

3. A clothesline hanger comprising a base having perforated attachment wings and having a wide forked hook connected to the base and offset forwardly therefrom, the forwardly ofiset portion of the hook comprising two tines extending generally upwardly and defining. a crotch between them, and the edges of the tines bounding the crotch being oppositely turned so that one extends toward the base and the other away from the base.

4. Aclothesline hanger comprising a; base perforated for attachment to a support and an upwardly opening hook connected to the base and comprising two tines spaced forwardly from the base, each tine being oppositely enlarged laterally toward the other adjacent to the free end of the tine to provide a constriction above a crotch for the line adjacent to the other end of the two tines, and said enlargements being oppositely turned, in the zone of such constriction, one toward the base and the other away therefrom.

5. A clothesline hanger comprising an upright base having connected thereto a forked hook forwardly offset from the base and comprising two tines defining a crotch for the line, the connecting portion for the hook and base being downwardly rounded at its lateral edges below the crotch.

6. A clothesline hanger comprising a perforated base for attachment to a support, and a pair of tines connected to the base and ofiset forwardly therefrom to provide an upwardly opening hook having a crotch between the tines and having a bottom formed by the portion connecting the tines-with the base, the axes of the perforations being below the crotch and. above the bottom of the hook.

JAMES E. CUFF;- 

